


set cloneZero

by izurulovesboats



Category: The Yogscast
Genre: Angst, Friends to Lovers to Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Memories, Not Really Canon Compliant, Slow Burn, amnesia-ish?, authors self indulgent project, post flux buddies 4, post yoglabs, xephos redemption arc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:13:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25963420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/izurulovesboats/pseuds/izurulovesboats
Summary: As much as he hates to admit it, Lalnable needs help with trying to bring Nano back through cloning. Everything he has tried at Lalna's wizard tower hasn't worked. Luckily- Well, regrettably- He knows exactly who to talk to about that.In the meantime, Xephos faces the repercussions of losing himself in his work.
Relationships: Lewis Brindley/Duncan Jones, Lewis Brindley/Lalnable Hector
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	set cloneZero

**Author's Note:**

> hi welcome to my annual "fuck canon all my homies hate canon" fic. general tag warnings were in the tags, but if theres something specific that happens in the chapter, those tag warnings will be in the notes at the beginning!
> 
> thank u to the lovely emma (@strifesolution) for helping me through the writing process and indulging me in my need for a good fucking xephnable fic around these parts. thank u bro i appreciate u

**_PROLOGUE_ **

**i. constellations**

_He breathes easy, laying next to Lalna on the roof of the work shed. He’s not sure how long it’s been, but for some reason, he feels no need to check the time. They’ve worked and worked and worked, and even if he doesn’t want to take unnecessary breaks when they’re trying to progress while Honeydew’s on Pig Island, he can allow himself this one moment to recollect himself, to rest._

_But as he’s learned, he’s figured out that Lalna doesn’t like the quiet. He’s always losing himself in the hum of machinery. So, while the quiet is nice, he finds himself asking: “So, what have you been working on when you’re not here?”_

_His chest flutters as he watches him; even though his eyes are the ones that glow, it’s a magnificent sight to watch Lalna’s light up like the very stars they’re lying under. “Oh! I’ve, uh- I’ve been working on a_ lot, _actually! Did you know that respawning isn’t as safe as we think it is?”_

**~**

**INCIDENT REPORT**

_Honeydew Clone #8937 has been involved in a workplace accident due to ~~general mishandling of fragile specimens~~ failure to follow proper specimen protocol. _

This isn’t right. 

He stares at the words on his computer screen with a disgust that he hasn’t experienced in a long time. He can’t remember the last time he typed Honeydew’s name without a clone number right after it. For some reason, it disturbs him. 

At least, he thinks it disturbs him. He can’t really tell what emotion is flooding through his brain and making him feel sick.

Why now, of all times? Why is this any different than the multiple times they’ve blown up Yoglabs together? Is it because this feels like the last nail in the coffin for ever getting his friend back?

He scoffs to himself. Who is he kidding? That nail was hammered long ago. Every clone after the original was killed cemented that fact six feet under.

_~~Honeydew~~_ _The clone let most of the specimens out of their specific enclosures, putting them in a frenzied and enraged state, multiplying and compromising the functional integrity of Yoglabs. The laboratory then executed its self-destruction plan._

He can’t tell what this feeling _is,_ no matter how hard he tries to identify it— Or, rather, push it down until he can no longer feel it— It doesn’t feel right. It feels abhorrently, _repulsively wrong._

It makes him feel nauseous; makes his skin crawl with every finger that taps a key on his keyboard. Maybe it’s just the aftershocks of the whole incident, even though Xephos knows that YogLabs imploding isn’t enough to elicit an emotional reaction from him anymore, it’s happened too much for him to care. 

Maybe it’s just his distaste for writing these reports.

That must be it. 

Not guilt.

_Definitely_ not guilt.

_~~There was no room in the escape pod~~ The clone could not make it to the escape pod in time to survive the self-destruct. There was no effort taken to save him. ~~There should’ve been.~~_

The sounds of Honeydew’s screams being interrupted by a chorus of explosions should’ve deafened him, he thinks. Thoughts about how he didn’t try to save the clone, how he should’ve figured out ways to get him out of Yoglabs before it was taken over with zombified teletubbies, and how he should’ve shoved the clone into the pod to make sure he was safe instead of himself are shoved out of his mind. 

He needs to focus. 

He can’t finish this report when he’s busy assuming, no, _knowing,_ that this is all his fault. 

That he’s entertaining the fact that he could’ve _done_ something. 

_After the self-destruct, Yoglabs retained the ability to initiate the rebuilding protocol. Normality has since been restored to the laboratory._

A part of him wishes it wasn’t. 

_Clone experiments to master the art of respawning without having to interfere with the computer to “perfect” the clone have halted until further notice._ _~~He’s been through enough.~~_ _**~~They’ve~~** ~~been through enough.~~_

..How did it come to this? 

Xephos doesn’t know. He feels too disgusted with his actions to care. He submits the form, and leans back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling. 

_This isn’t right._

Yoglabs wasn’t founded on the basis of questionable morality. It wasn’t supposed to be conflicts at every turn, corrupt scientists in every lab. He looks back down to his desk, away from his monitor, not focusing on anything in particular. It was supposed to be _fun._ It was supposed to _help_ people. And, simply enough, it was just supposed to be a passion project between him and—

There’s three rushed knocks on the door to his office. He raises a frustrated eyebrow and huffs. What could it be _this_ time? Is there another Honeydew clone loose in the facility? He straightens his posture, disguising the hints of his internal moral crisis with a neutral smile. “Come in.”

An intern comes in, shakily closing the door behind them. “M-Mr. Xephos?” 

He doesn’t let the nervousness of the intern concern him. “..Yes?” 

“Lalnable Hector has returned to the facility. S-Shall we let him in?”

His smile fades.

**Author's Note:**

> imma post this and see how it goes pretty much? i uh. this au has taken me literal Months to write (like, i was starting to write it, and then 2020 happened, so that gives u a timespan of how long this has actually taken me) and i have a couple chapters written! uh, will post when i want to idk. also will explain some stuff that i have taken out of canon when it is relevant to the chapter, etc
> 
> this is supposed to be slowburn af but ive never been good at pacing so we'll see lmao


End file.
